Narration

Harold missed your call...

Minami read this sentence from her phone several times.

"Come on, why aren't you answering my calls?" she grumbled. Her concerns grew as time passed. Normally, whenever she called him, he would answer right away. If he is unable to answer, he will immediately message her to let her know. But, ever since Harold flew to Japan for his business trip, their contact had dwindled.

Inside her head, negative thoughts had been brewing. What would happen if he had an accident? Minami brushed her thoughts aside; she shouldn't think of the worst-case scenario. She should instead pray for his safety. However, she couldn't help but overthink whenever what happened especially when their call was cut.

"Mina!" her friends called out to her holding a food they ordered inside the airport. Minami has taken on the role of mother since their group was formed in high school. She would nag them and look after them. But now she was the one being looked after.

"Naku! Bat niyo ba iniiyakan mga lalaki?" Jannie asked to lighten the mood. "A few months ago, si Rikka tapos ikaw naman ngayon. Uso ba yan sa samahan ng mga walang label?" she jokingly asked.

Ellie jokingly hits her, Jannie pretends to be in pain, and Rikka teases the two. Minami sighs and shakes her head. They didn't need to comfort her, their mere presence already relieved half of her worries.

"Paturo ka nga mag-acting kay tito Rhein, ampangit mong umacting, mukha kang nangingisay," Ellie provokes.

"Sige, tapos lalandiin ko," Ellie glared at Jannie with the intensity of a predator hunting its prey.

Jannie simply shrugged and looked at Minami., "Di mo pa rin macontact si kuya Harold?"

"Yeah."

"Tara muna sa Drunk Cafe, tas doon tayo mamoroblema," Ellie suggested while eating the food they bought for Mina, and everyone agreed.

"Nagbreakfast ka ba bago ka pumunta dito?" Jannie asked. Minami responds by shaking her head. The three exchange glances and decide to look for a restaurant.

Minami follows them absentmindedly.

When they arrived at the restaurant, she dialed Harold's number once more. But it was in vain.

Until she received a call from an unknown number. She didn't even look at the caller ID before answering the phone and putting it on speaker. Minami let them stay for them to hear their conversation.

"Hashina!" Harold exclaimed.

"Ha-Harold."

"I've been dialing your number for hours, bakit ngayon ka lang tumawag. I'm worried you know that?"

"I'm sorry, love. Nasira phone ko nung may nakabangga ako habang kinukuha ko luggage ko."

Minami calmed down when he said that. Thank goodness, he was not hurt.

"Bakit ba ang super clumsy mo. And why did you just contact me now? You know naman na I'm going to fetch you. Where are you?"

"Actually..."

"Hmm?"

"...."

"Harold?"

"I rescheduled my flight and.."

"...."

"Kamukha mo yung nakabangga ko [pause] parang older version mo."

Minami tightens her grip on her phone. The three girls looked alarmed when they heard Harold's sentence.

"Can you tell me who she is?"

"Nagpakilala siya as your biological mom."

"...."

"Tinanong niya muna kung ako ba si Harold at sabi ko oo."

Minami clenched her teeth in response to what she heard.

"Is she with you?"

"Yes. Gamit ko phone niya ngayon para makausap ka. Bakit? May problema ba?" Harold asked in a gentle tone. He noticed that there was something unusual about her tone.

"What did she say to you?"

"Nothing much. Napag-usapan ka lang namin and she looks so proud of you."

Minami heaves a deep breath.

"Harold, please do me a favor and do not associate with her."

"Bakit? Isn't she your mom?"

"She has stopped being my mother since that day; now return her phone and leave her immediately," she said commandingly.

"Kahit pag bali-baliktaran mo man ang mundo-"

"Stop. If you don't want to, then let's not talk to each other; I'll be content with us being strangers."

"You're willing to throw me away? Dahil lang nakausap ko ang tunay mong ina?"

"Dahil LANG?" she irritatedly asked. "You can't dismiss this as a simple matter, Harold. You don't even know her! Tapos kakampihan mo ang babaeng iyan? And what? You rescheduled your flight because of her? Why can't you just listen to me?"

"Calm down, Hashina. Wala akong kinakampihan."

"But that's exactly what you're implying!"

Harold sighed. He was lost at words and have no idea how to alleviate his girlfriend's anger.

"It looks like you're tired. Get some rest and don't talk to me again."

"No. Hindi pwede. Please mong ibababa yung call."

"I don't care," Minami said as she hung up the phone.

Jannie and the other girls looked at her, concerned. A long period of silence followed.

"Bumalik na siya?" Jannie asks, breaking the tension between them.

Minami leaned against the back of her chair, trying to calm herself.

"No, but she's in Japan." She answered.

Everyone had the same thought: "Why did she come back in her life?"

Jannie's phone rang and they saw Harold's message.

Harold Klein Cervantes

Harold:
Jannie bata, alam kong kasama mo si hashina? Please let me talk to her 🥺

"Tell him that na I'm not with you." Minami ordered.

Jannie:
Di ko siya kasama kuya. Bakit nag-away ba kayo? Gusto mo rin bang sipain ko yang balls mo? Marunong ako mag football.

Harold:
she's mad at me.

I'm sorry.

Jannie:
awts

Harold:
pls

gusto ko talagang makausap si hashina

Jannie:

Di kita matutulungan kuya

Bye.

"I'm going home for the time being. I don't think I have to energy to talk and face him," Minami said.

"Gusto mo bang samahan ka namin?"

"Thank you but I'd like to be alone."

They had no choice but to respect her decision. They accompanied Minami until they arrived at her residence.

"Doon muna ako kina Ellie matutulog. Jannie, ikaw na bahala kay Mina, ha?" Rikka said.

"Ako na bahala, tawagan mo na si Sean."

Before they left, they all hugged Minami. Minami waited until they were gone before entering.

She's grateful to her friends for not bringing up her current state of mind. They knew she was furious right now, but they remained silent and comforted her silently.

She only realized how irrational she had been when she finally calmed down. She is aware of how toxic she was, but the mere thought of Harold associating with and defending the woman who made her life a living hell enrages her.

As she expected, whenever Harold is involved, her emotions go haywire to the point where she can't control herself.